On piracy. I have no desire to take money from the artists (and, in fact, I don't, I buy the stuff). But beyond that, come on, people, be reasonable. If what the industry charges wasn't so ridiculous, there might be less piracy. $20 for a CD it costs a few bucks to make is a bit much.

On the other issue: US political power is too concentrated in the big parties. We desperately need a third party (any third party), but in our system that seems impossible. The Republicans and Democrats are too entrenched and have too much money behind them. And the voters are irrational; poll after poll indicates that people hate Congress with a passion; but they love their own Senator or Representative. Only a handful of races, especially in the House, are competitive. People here are nuts.

I do not have much sympathy for the companies that claim to be getting ripped off by people copying music. SACDs cannot be copied nor can analog records and tapes without a loss in quality. The SACD players are cheap and it costs virtually nothing more to make them. The current quality of MP3s is pitiful and if people could hear quality sound they would not go back. The stuff being stolen is garbage and those corporations should not expect to profit from horrible sounding crap.

'When we remember we are all mad, the mysteries disappear and life stands explained.' - Mark Twain